The health benefits of dark chocolate have been widely reported in the last few years. It has even been called a superfood due to its positive impact on a variety of health conditions. I rarely need an excuse to eat chocolate. But if you were looking for another reason to eat chocolate every day, here are five good ones!

5 Reasons to Eat Dark Chocolate Every Day

Helps our Heart – Numerous studies have associated heart health with eating dark chocolate. Even recent studies have shown that the powerful antioxidants, flavanols, in dark chocolate can help prevent the activation of platelets in the blood, which contribute to heart disease. Other studies show that the antioxidants can even reverse some of the artery damage cause by smoking, although this is definitely not an incentive to keep smoking nor is it a good excuse to start.

Makes You Smarter – Dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids) is a major source of magnesium, a mineral essential for brain health, while it also helps prevent the plaque build-up that leads to Alzheimer’s disease. Furthermore, there is evidence that chocolate boosts memory, attention span, and increase our reaction time.

Boosts Our Immune System – A 2009 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that dark chocolate has immunity boosting power, possibly helping us fight off infection.

Reduces Stress – Eating about 1.5 ounces of dark chocolate every day may help to reduce your stress level, particularly those with moderate to high anxiety.

Helps Us Live Longer – Finally, Harvard researchers found that people who ate chocolate lived an average of one year longer than those who did not, although the association was stronger in men than women.

Oh yoga, how I missed you! I finally made it to yoga after missing class for two weeks straight. I absolutely love the yoga instructor at my studio. I know I’ve said that before, but she is one of the reasons I get up so early on Saturday mornings, just to get there 30 minutes before class so I can reserve a space. Yes, she is THAT good! I happened to see her at Target last week (after I missed her class). I ducked into another aisle – I didn’t want her to remember I missed her class. Plus, Ms. M and Mr. C were not being very Zen-like. But, yesterday’s class was amazing as usual. We did quite a few hip openers, which I really needed since I did a bunch of lunges on Thursday morning and was still feeling it two days later.

And Speaking of Yoga

Have you ever been in a yoga class and not understood what the instructor says? This happens to me more often than I like to admit. I usually just watch someone else in the class, hoping that I’ll catch on. I’ve also been in a situation where my instructor says something in yoga-ese (aka Sanskrit) and I’m just clueless. I find that nodding and looking very serious only goes so far. Well, if these things have ever happened to you, you’re in luck!

Last month, I received an awesome little book – 27 Things to Know About Yoga. Or, as I like to call it, everything you wanted to know about yoga but were afraid to ask, book. The book was sent to me for review, which I am totally grateful! I learned quite a bit from this book, despite it being only 176 pages. But that’s one of the real pluses of the book, it’s short, very easy to read, and provides just enough detail to make you feel smarter about yoga.

It’s All Sanskrit To Me

For instance, I finally learned what yoga mudra is! It’s a symbolic physical gesture usually made with the hands, ie. Hands together at heart center. So yesterday, when my yogini said, “brings your hands into yoga mudra”, I nodded reassuringly and felt much better that I was not the clueless one in the room. I imagine a conversation with the lady next to me….Excuse me, do you speak Sanskrit? Why yes, I do.

Other Things I learned About Yoga

The types of yoga – It really is great for a quick review and follow-up reference, but not if you want to go really in-depth in one area.

Yoga Manners – For the most part, I follow good manners for yoga, according to what is spelled out in the book. Although, I have been guilty of leaving before the end of savasana – no one is perfect.

The teacher makes the student – I could have written this chapter!!! Although I totally know this from experience, the book really reinforced this principle.

Now, For the Yoga Book Giveaway!

If you want to brush up on your Sanskrit or want to learn about the limbs of yoga, you have the opportunity to do just that! I’m giving away one copy of 27 Things to Know About Yoga to one reader. How to enter the Yoga book giveaway – just leave a comment on this post, or retweet this post and voila….you’re entered! You have until Wednesday, August 4, at 10 PM Eastern to enter. Come on Healthy Living Summit attendees, show me some love!

Since we were out of town in Michigan for the weekend, we’ve had no time to grocery shop. So, it is not surprising that our fridge and cupboards are bare. I don’t mind when our grocery supply dwindles but it drives Scott crazy. As a result of having very little food selection for lunch, I opted to stop at the grocery store this morning to pick up a can of soup and a few other things for the day. As a rule, I try to avoid eating soup from a can because canned soup is typically loaded with sodium and is definitely processed in some way – no matter what the label says. But in my world, having a can of soup is slightly better than having a frozen dinner (can’t even remember the last time I had one) and cheaper than going out to eat.

To off-set my sodium-filled lunch, I also bought a banana and a HUGE orange to snack on throughout the day. I loved the feeling of knowing that I was buying fresh, whole fruit from the market rather than going out to eat. This practice of stopping at the market on your way to work or even on your lunch break is a way of life for many in Europe, but is not as ingrained in American culture. Think about it, when was the last time you just stopped at the market or bakery to pick up a loaf of bread for your lunch or fresh fruit for your afternoon snack? When given a choice, I assume most Americans would choose to eat at a restaurant for lunch rather than stop at the store to pick up a little something.

If you needed to grab lunch at work, what would you do – go out to eat or stop at the market to pick up real, fresh food?

As some of you know, I headed out of work early yesterday because I was sick. I haven’t taken “sick” time from work in over 4 months so I was about due. My gland/tonsil was really swollen and hurt like crazy. I’m hoping the antibiotic and a little Tylenol will take care of it quickly. I hate being sick – it just doesn’t fit into my schedule.

Big Day!!

Today is the big day – I’m getting the new iPhone!!! Scott ran out the door a little after 7 AM so that he could wait in line for both my phone (already ordered) and his phone (on reserve but no guarantee). After 2.5 hours, he is still waiting in line! I’m hoping he meets me for lunch and presents my new baby, fully charged and ready to go!

No Time To Spare

Because I’m getting the new phone today, Scott needed to take my old one with him, which left me phoneless taking the kids to school and then driving to work. When I got into the car, I realized that the stereo lights were not working which meant that I could not see the time. So, no phone time, no car stereo time, and no watch. I had to rely on talk radio to update me with the time – which is rather frustrating since they only say it once every 20 minutes. My kingdom for a clock, my kingdom for a clock! Basically, I had so sense of time until I got to work. Of course, I was 10 minutes late.

Anyway, aside from the iPhone, I also have a big day and weekend ahead. Today I have a meeting with our senior VP about my new role at work -oooh, aren’t you excited to hear the details? Well, that makes two of us. Because I still don’t know what the hell is going on with my role! Then tomorrow, we head to Michigan again for a big family reunion. My younger brother is coming in from San Diego with his whole family -can’t wait! I know I just saw my little bro in October but the cousins haven’t been together in a year!

Last week, the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee issued a report related to the upcoming national dietary guidelines. The report forms the basis for the US Dietary Guidelines and the Food Pyramid, which are revised every 5 years. Although the guidelines are not final, the report presented some interesting findings on what Americans should be eating.

Overall the preliminary report outlines 8 things related to our diet/health that average Americans should be doing more or less of.

↑Americans need more:

Plant-based foods like vegetables and whole grains

Fish

Fat-free or low-fat dairy (as opposed to full-fat)

Exercise

↓Americans need less:

Calories

Added sugars and solid fats

Sodium and refined grains

Lean meats, poultry and eggs

If you’ve every read a government report, you know how long they can get and how confusing they can be. I often wonder if people don’t pay attention to dietary guidelines because they just don’t understand them. Hopefully, when the official guidelines come out later this year, they will be reported in such a simple fashion that all Americans will be able to understand them and easily implement them in their daily lives.

I just ordered the new iPhone last night! Well, technically, Scott ordered it for me. He’s had one for over a year and never leaves home without it – seriously. I used to make fun of him (well, I still do) because he’s always on the iPhone. But, I am very happy to say that I have jumped on the iPhone bandwagon. I’m so geeked about it for many reasons, one being that I will officially be a part of the elite iPhone club at my work. All the VP’s have them, so of course, I want one too!

Now comes the hard part…figuring out what apps to get. Ahh, decisions, decisions. This is where I need your help! I would love to get your input on your top 2 or 3 favorite iPhone apps for:

Running and yoga

Health and fitness

Nutrition and food

Fashion and Beauty

Music

Travel

I’d prefer them to be free, but I’m not opposed to paying a few dollars here and there. Please, please, PLEASE, help me! There are so many iPhone apps out there and I don’t know how to break through clutter.

Prevention magazine recently identified 17 ways that exercise improves our health. Although there are a few obvious benefits on the list – like weight loss, reduced stress, etc – there are a few that might surprise you. Regular exercise can:

Make you happier and increase your productivity at work

Improve your vocabulary

Improve your dental health

Reduce your risk of getting colds

Improve your vision

Help you sleep more soundly

Make you smarter by improving mental fitness

So, even if you don’t need to lose weight, there are more than enough very good reasons to keep you moving everyday. Just pick one and get going!

More than once on this blog I have mentioned my affection for tea. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a Starbucks addict, but am trying to quit by replacing my coffee with tea. So today, as I sat at my desk, dreaming of Starbucks but drinking my Tazo Awake tea, I reminded myself of all of the benefits of breaking my Starbucks habit.

3 Reasons to Break Your Starbucks Habit

1) Save money – On average, I visit Starbucks 3-4 times a week and spend about $4 each time. Do the math, that’s up to $16 a week or more than $800 a year. If I buy my Tazo from the store at about $3 a box, which could last 2-3 weeks – oh my, just think of all the money I could spend on new yoga clothes!

2) Calorie control – Unless I get a skinny latte, the calories in my go-to Frap equal about 250 calories a pop. Again, do the math, if a pound is equal to 3,500 calories, I may very likely be gaining 1 pound every couple of weeks, unless I cut down my calories in some other way. So essentially, I’m paying Starbucks $800 a year to put on 26 pounds.

3) Health benefits – Yes, I know coffee does have many health benefits, but the unbelievable amount of sugar that is included in my signature drink is definitely not healthy. Even if I get the “lite” Frap, it’s loaded with artificial sweetener, which is a whole other issue. Furthermore, by switching to tea, I may even gain more health benefits. Tea has been used for its medicinal properties for centuries. Tea has been known to contribute to:

Heart health

Cancer prevention

Skin protection

Alzheimer’s Disease prevention

Dental health

Spend less, cut calories, and improve my health – how many more reasons do I need??? Apparently, all of these reasons are not enough because I’ve attempted to break my Starbucks habit in the past and, obviously, it hasn’t worked.

For me, the big test is business travel. While traveling for business, I will often get 1-2 Starbucks a day as treat AND because I don’t have to pay for it! So, I’m leaving for Washington, DC, on Sunday where Starbucks are plentiful. Any suggestions on how to avoid the green mermaid?

If you’ve recently quit Starbucks (and lived to tell about it) what tricks/strategies did you use to help you through your ordeal?

Stress. Worry. Anxiety. Uncertainty. We all feel these emotions at some point in our lives -and for some of us, we feel them on a weekly or daily basis. Among other things, these emotions can leave us feeling mentally and physically unbalanced.

If you’re feeling a little off-center these days, due to family, work, or anything else, try taking a moment to center yourself – to find your balance. A good way to do this is with yoga, specifically, the tree pose.

For those of you who already practice yoga, what I am about to say will be like preaching to the choir. Tree pose is a balancing pose that requires you to focus and relax at the same time. Tree pose helps you work on your balance, but it also can help you clear your head and steady your body and soul. There are many postures in yoga that I have not yet perfected – down dog, warrior three – the list goes on and on. But tree pose is one that I do quite well. And, when I focus, clearly concentrating on perfecting my tree, I can think of nothing else. Instant relaxation, albeit temporary.

If you’ve never practiced yoga or just need a refresher on how to maneuver the tree pose, Yoga Journal has an easy, step-by-step guide on the tree pose, and many other yoga poses, most of which include photos.

For those of you who follow me on Twitter @RunWithCake, you know that today was a very big day for me – I interviewed one of my biggest health inspirations. No, it’s not Jillian Michaels or Bob Greene. My interview was with Mireille Guiliano, the famous author of French Women Don’t Get Fat!

I have been a fan of Mireille’s books since her first, French Women Don’t Get Fat, was published in 2004. Her books, including her latest – The French Women Don’t Get Fat Cookbook – focus on certain aspects of the French lifestyle that have been known to keep the women in that country healthy, thin, and happy. These include how the French eat (slow, savoring every bite), what they eat (fresh, seasonal foods), and the healthy relationship they have with food (they see it as the ultimate pleasure in life, not the enemy).

I don’t want to give away all of the details of my interview – those will be saved for my article on Bistro Chic. But I will say that Mireille is quite charming, even over the phone! Speaking with her was just as fun, if not more fun, than reading her books. I spoke with her for about 20 minutes (would have spoken with her longer but I could tell she was tired from 2 full days of back to back interviews). But even in this short time, it was quite apparent that she lives this French lifestyle every day, even though she spends half of her time in New York. I also feel that she really cares about her readers – a quality that may not be as common as we think it is in the publishing world.

Although I asked Mireille many questions, my final question ended up being – 10 Things You May Not Know About Mireille Guiliano. This was a series of words/phrases which I read to her, then asked her to choose the ones that best describes her. Take a look….

Of the words/phrases, which best describe you…

Coffee or tea?

Morning person or night owl?

Red or white wine?

Sparkling or still water?

Print or electronic books?

Beach vacation or skiing?

Chocolate dessert or fruit dessert?

Regular or Greek yogurt?

Mac or PC?

Skirts or trousers?

So, what were her answers? I’m not telling….yet! Visit Bistro Chic on Monday, May 3 to find out!